Refugees in Ammerfeld

In my grandmother’s family home in Ammerfeld, refugees were accommodated, so I would like to talk about the experiences of my grandma on the topic "Flight and expulsion in the past".

The refugees, who came to the small village from 1945 on, were expelled from their homeland Bohemia. All their possessions had been put into a few suitcases. Everything that did not fit into the suitcase or the bag had to be left behind. In my grandmother’s village, every house had to accommodate a refugee family, no matter if the house was large or small. Communication wasn’t a problem, because all of them spoke German. The refugees helped the farmers in the field and in the stables. And the refugee children also had to help by tending cows, geese and sheep. In return they got something to eat.

The family who lived with my grandmother was named E. Their adult son found a good job in Munich right after the expulsion. The father, Mr. E., was a professional locksmith. He could also mend pots and pans. This was very helpful, because then people had little money and you had to repair a lot. Mrs E., his wife, was a good seamstress and was able to sew new clothes from old clothes. She was always in a good mood despite her bad experiences during the expulsion. She was known for her "cool sayings", e.g.

"Everyone is differently stupid!"

Mr. and Mrs. E. lived in my grandmother's house for twenty years, before moving to Munich to live with their son. Even after moving away the stayed in close contact with my grandmother.